Having been beaten 0-3 in their opening EuroHockey Championships fixture with England, Ireland looked to bounce back and collect some points in their second Pool B game against Scotland, and that they did, winning 5-0. Scotland, the lowest ranked team in Pool B, had been beaten 0-4 by hosts Germany in their opening game and were in 4th place in the table on goal difference as a result.
On Tuesday Ireland faces their final Pool B opponent Germany, the fourth-ranked nation in the world.
In an even first quarter Ireland were temporarily reduced to 10 players when Caoimhe Perdue was green carded, but Scotland were unable to put their temporary numerical advantage to good use and both sides ended the first quarter scoreless.
Scotland were then reduced temporarily following a 17th minute green card awarded to Bronwyn Shields. Ireland then scored two goals inside a minute. First up was Hannah McLoughlin who scored from open play in the 19th minute to give the Green Army a 1-0 lead. A minute later Ellen Curran also from open play grabbed a goal to increase Ireland’s lead to 2-0.
It got even better for the Green Army as a Niamh Carey goal from open play in the 26th minute meant that Ireland lead 3-0 at the half-time break. Having balanced their goal difference in the first half, the question was whether Ireland could kick on in the second half and add to their tally. But Ireland found it difficult to increase their lead despite Scotland finishing the third quarter down to ten players when Elizabeth Watson was yellow carded for 5 minutes keeping her off the field until the start of quarter four.
The score remained 3-0 until late in the fourth quarter when Sarah Torrans scored from open play in the 55th minute to increase the Green Army’s lead to 4-0. Torrans grabbed her second of the game from open play in the final minute to make the final score 5-0.
Ireland get their first three points of the campaign, and those targets of reaching the Olympic Qualification Pool next January and staying in the elite level of the Euro Hockey Championships are within reach.
Ireland: Ayeisha McFerran (GK), Sarah McAuley, Roisin Upton, Elena Neill, Sarah Hawkshaw, Katie McKee, Charlotte Beggs, Caitlin Sherin, Katie Mullan, Niamh Carey, Naomi Carroll
Subs: Michelle Carey, Hannah McLoughlin, Sarah Torrans, Caoimhe Perdue, Ellen Curran, Deirdre Duke
Scotland: Amy Gibson (GK), Jennifer Eadie, Eve Pearson, Amy Costello, Katie Robertson, Katie Birch, Charlotte Watson, Elizabeth Wilson, Sarah Jamieson, Fiona Burnet
Subs: Laura Swanson, Sophie Hinds, Ruth Blaikie, Heather McEwan, Millie Steiger, Bronwyn Shields